Welcome to HVAC-Talk.com, a non-DIY site and the ultimate Source for HVAC Information & Knowledge Sharing for the industry professional! Here you can join over 150,000 HVAC Professionals & enthusiasts from around the world discussing all things related to HVAC/R. You are currently viewing as a NON-REGISTERED guest which gives you limited access to view discussions

To gain full access to our forums you must register; for a free account. As a registered Guest you will be able to:

Participate in over 40 different forums and search/browse from nearly 3 million posts.

Originally posted by fitter33 Everyone knows being on call is part of the job.....if ya don't like it change professions...there are plenty of guys looking for a chance to take your spot.

There may be plenty of guys out there looking to take his spot with no insurance, no vacation pay, no 401K, etc., but are they guys or are they technicians. That's right, 95% of them are guys and not refrigeration and/or air conditioning techs.

Case in point. A "guy" the other day is working on a small split in a mall that I'm at comes over and says "look at these things, they don't even have any numbers on them". I look at them and see that it's 410a marked marked manifold guage set. I state this and he come back with "What's that?" Come to find out this "guy" went to TCI technical school(or something like that)and recieved his a/c - refrigeration diploma like 5 years ago. How deaf have you have had to be to not even hear about R-410a. Remember now that the guy is doing commercial a/c work so the "he's just a residential guy" won't fly here.

That is what is out there looking to take R-12's job. He can have it as far as I'm concerned.

...Ron

When I say "guys" I was referring to techs, not apprentices...I kinda figured you would have known that.

As far as insurance, 401k...etc. I would never have taken a job in the first place without benefits....so I feel no sympathy....

I live 45 min. away from most of our stores.....I chose to live there so I can't whine about getting called out..

That's a pretty pessimistic attitude. Do you think that there are no companies left out there who are just in it for as much money as they can get their hands on?

I have benefits because I would only work for a company that has benefits. If were no companies out there with benefits then I'd have my own business. It's all up to the individual to take care of themselves and their family.

Originally posted by lynn rodenmayer So you guys with benifit, is it economical to add your family?

Is it fair, good, or great insurance?

Do you live in a large city or in a rural area?

In my own case, I have fair insurance and the family doesn't cost more. It's all part of my union package. I work in and around the NY City area. I leave my house at around 6:20am and usually don't get home until around 5:30pm to 6:00pm. The work varies greatly also. Today I was working on VAV units and controls while last week I was working on a 500 ton direct fired absorber, and the week before that I was working on a gas turbine generator with the waste heat going to a small absorber (I was actually just working on the absorber - just thought that the turbine part might interest some of those out there.), with scattered roof work in between.

Here's my package...

Hourly rate is over 31 per hour, 7 paid holidays, on call time is a strait 9 hours for the week unless it's a holiday weekend and then it's 10 hours, the other side is stand by time which I don't get paid except for the time worked, insurance, local pension, national pension, 401K, vacation check based on so much per hour worked, small dental stipend, small eyeglass stipend, 100% paid schooling (no matter what I'm studying), a new van every 100,000 miles or so, work clothes are paid for (mostly), most hand tools are paid for, and I have an excellent crew of techs to work along side. There's definately more upsides than downsides. I hope that the stuff I stepped into never washes off the bottom of my feet.

Put your resume in, you never know when my company is hiring. They are a world wide company, there might even be a branch near you.

I've been down the job search road. I was very careful and thought I picked the right company after 8 years with a Carrier dealer. Broken promises from the place I moved to. Quit them at 30 days and left the service mananger's mouth open. (Seriously wanted to tell him to close his mouth.) I put in lots of resumes at the companies I think are worth working at. Can't even get an interview with most of them.

Yes I'm bitter at this whole industry. I really should have put my time and energy into a different career. Seems there are only two types of companies. Really good to work for and really bad to work for. Here in my part of Kansas there is more of the bad ones.

Cheer up lynn you have to keep at it
I too have been boned by bs companies
I have just found a job looks good hope to turn it into something great with time
big co no hvac division going to start one should fly great

co has great bennies great salary and great staff
hope to be a success
keep your chin up and build your reputation go to seminars and golf tournies supplier nights and network your ass off something good will happen

www.vetopropac.com - The best tool bags on the market - The offical tool bag of choice by techs everywhere

Arguing with some people is like wrestling a pig - eventually you realise the pig actually enjoys it

I can relate. So many, many brolen promises. But you never know ahead of time. You try to talk with other techs
and people in the industry to get a "heads up" on the position you are applying for, but often there is but
unreliable data. So you are left with an individual's word. How can you tell when someone is lying when they probably believe their own lies?

I've been doing this type of work since 1979 and, unfortunately, it seems like companies that treat their
techs like something more than a commodity are in an ever-decreasing minority.

Right now, I've got a price on my head. One of my former
co-workers from a company I used to work for called me and stated that they were told in a meeting that if anyone could talk me into returning, they would recieve a $1000.00
bonus.

Yep. We are indeed a commodity.

I thought about giving up and moving into a different line of work after all the craziness and stupidity that I've
seen in the HVAC industry over the years. However, I figure, where there's people involved, there will always be a certain element of weirdness no matter what line of work you're in. So, I stick with the madness that I am most familiar with- Yes, even restaurant service calls that come in at quitting time on Friday night on equipment
that has been down "all day".

Re-read my answer, I pay them $150.00 in cash, and if they go out on a call after hours, I pay them time and a half, no matter how many hours they have.

As others have stated, owner wise, it is my business, I assume all the risks, I gaurentee all my techs 40 hours a week, I pay the bills, etc, etc.
All my techs are happy with this arrangement, if not, they do not work for me, and they can start their own company.

I re-read your answer. It still says $150 to be on call, if there is no calls it still is only $150 and they have to stay around home and be prepaired to go in.

My job suports my life it is not lmy life. If my employeer wants to interupt my life I expected to be paid for the interuption, and not just a part days pay for Friday night-All day Saturday and Sunday.

I disagree. I think it's great someone even gets $150 for being on duty.
In the military you dont get that kind of money. And with most outfits doing service work ... you do not receive ANYTHING for being on duty ... whether or not you ever roll on a call.

I would be very grateful to receive even half that amount for being on standby/ awaiting calls on the weekend.

Now during the week, we dont go out after a certain hour.
And that is fine with the two of us.
But we would like to get something for being available.

As far as benefits is concerned ... one of the owners onc told an amployee; "since there are so many ex-felons working here, we should call the company CON-AIR!"

It hurt so bad laughing ... I about busted a rib! LOL

So that may have something to do with why they dont pay much or have benefits and they yell at everyone and treat people so badly.

Now this is sometimes.
Not everyday and not all the time.

Like I said earlier, this outfit does have many fine points.
And once in awhile ... it doesnt take a magnifying glass to see them! LOL

R12, I still disagree. $150 is not enough to tie up my weekends. Like I said earlier my job supports my life, IT IS NOT MY LIFE. If I was told that I had to take a Friday night to Monday morning on call (60 hours)for $150 I would propably call dispatch from the bosses office.

I used to get around 250 taxable for being on call for a week and it was strictly commercial AND only for contract customers not too bad liveable and you may only get one call a week and be on call one week in 10

www.vetopropac.com - The best tool bags on the market - The offical tool bag of choice by techs everywhere

Arguing with some people is like wrestling a pig - eventually you realise the pig actually enjoys it